Enter the Renaissance

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A lot of people were happy to say goodbye to Rome, as many of them had found it to be a dirty city. It does get you a bit down, to see the lack of effort and respect. Here is a city steeped in history, and yet the people seem to allow it to be destroyed by rubbish, graffiti, and the modern age. Supermarkets were being built on top of historic Roman columns as we drove out.

Apart from the disrespect, Iz and I still managed to find a few things we would like to see, and although I would rather have headed to Santorini for longer, we had to leave our flights the way they were, and get on with the tour. Florence was our next stop, only a two hour drive from Rome.

This city was of major importance during the Renaissance. It housed many of the modern day thinkers of that time - Michelangelo, Galileo, and Da Vinci. The Medici family (wealthy bankers) sponsored many of the artists, which allowed the city to become very influential. Many of the famous names are actually buried here, and the art work can still be seen, including the very famous statue of David.

We decided on not seeing the real deal after disembarking from the bus, as there would be a huge line-up in the sun, and instead, Iz and I made our way into the Town Hall square, where a stone replica of David stands…it had a pigeon or two on it, but otherwise it looked fine. This square is FULL of statues, many of which show very violent scenes.

From here, you can take a quick walk down to the old town bridge, where the King of Florence had an extra level built. This was so he didn’t have to interact with all the plebs on the lower level, and could ride his horse across the top, home. The bridge is now full of shops, and street sellers, but we did manage to find a spot in the sun and look over the edge.

To Izzy’s delight, there were about 6 large fish swimming around below us. We don’t know what they were, but they were BIG. At least a metre in length! I managed to drag him away, and head down to the more famous of the two churches. Michelangelo built the dome of this church (which I can’t remember the name of!) 800 years after the last one of that size had been built. He was a great architect, as well as a sculptor and painter.

We didn’t bother heading inside, as the line-up here was huge as well, and instead walked back to the other church, Santa Croce, and see the graves of the rich and famous. The church doesn’t allow exposed shoulders, so I had to wear the weirdest blue cape - and resisting the urge to fly around like Superman, I tried with as much dignity as possible to explore the interior.

The Church is rather spectacular with an exposed wooden ceiling, and painted walls. The graves vary, from humble slabs to massive tombs. In one of the rooms, a frame contained the cowl and girdle of Saint Francis of Assisi. The largest painting was undergoing renovations, so we headed out into the quiet courtyard, where I could remove my cape. From here it was on to lunch, then back to the bus for our trip to Montecatini - a small city where the rich come to hang out.

Iz and I headed to a café, and after paying 7 Euros for a fruit juice, we sat and watched the people go by. There were certainly some interesting sights - many of the males look like the original Italian Stallion, and the girls don’t see the need for bras or modest clothing. We both enjoyed the scenery - then headed back to the hotel for dinner (after seeing one crazy lady getting dragged into a police car kicking and screaming.)

I couldn’t wait to see Monte Carlo after the evening in Montecatini - there would be loads more people with money there, which meant even more interesting sights. I guess we’ll have to leave Italy to visit one more of the world’s smallest country’s before heading to France.

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